Committee of 100 Governor Henry Tang reflects on the origins of C-100 in 1989 and speaks frankly about the issues that dominated his C-100 Chairmanship, including the Wen Ho Lee case, in a lengthy interview by Kelly Chung Dawson in China Daily on March 9.
In 1989, Tang, architect I.M. Pei, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, investment banker Oscar Tang, General Motors executive Shirley Young and the late physics professor Chien-Siung Wu formed the Committee of 100 with approximately 40 other established Chinese-Americans. Today, the committee counts close to 160 members, Tang said.
"At the time, we realized that as Chinese in the U.S., we did not have any organization that truly represented us," Tang said. "We needed a whole group with expertise to elucidate and share our collective body of knowledge about China and Chinese culture with the American public."
Twenty-three years later, he said the group is still necessary and relevant.
"There was a very acute need for it between China and the U.S. at that time. But even after 30 years of diplomatic relations, I think every Asian or Chinese person in America can still play a bridging role," Tang said. . . .
"I'm very pleased about what the organization has become," he said. "We've brought together some of the greatest minds to think deeply about these issues, and I have great respect for every single member of our organization."
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